Cairns, Queensland, Australia

If ever the statement “so much to do, so little time” rang true of a destination, Cairns would be it.

With the Great Barrier Reef in its front yard and the Wet Tropics rainforest out the back, aside from your bathers, time is the best thing you can pack for a visit to Tropical North Queensland. 

Here are some Best Things to Do & See Cairns, Queensland:

 Visit the Great Barrier Reef

First priority: ‘Seas’ the day with a visit to the Great Barrier Reef, the World Heritage-listed wonder sitting on Cairns’ doorstep.

You’ll find a marina full of tour boats to take you out to the nearby islands and outer reef, so whether you’ve only got a morning to see the Great Barrier Reef at speed, or more nights to languish on a liveaboard, you’ll find a reef tour to suit.

cool breeze.

See the city from new heights at Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome

If you’re looking to get your heart rate up, Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome is the place to be. You’ll find it on the rooftop of The Reef Hotel Casino, combining a ropes course with a wildlife park in a world-first visitor experience. The fact you can zipline over a 4.5m crocodile named Goliath is just one reason this park has earned a place in this list of the best wildlife experiences in Cairns.

Go underwater without getting wet at the Cairns Aquarium

Tropical North Queensland might be full of big nature experiences but seeing all of its diverse eco-systems is damn near impossible unless your holiday has no discernible end date. Enter the Cairns Aquarium which connects you with 16,000 species of animals across 10 different ecosystems and 71 different exhibits – while also owning the bragging rights as the only aquarium in the world to showcase wildlife from two World Heritage-listed sites. Not only can you expect the regular behind-glass aquarium-style experience, but at Cairns Aquarium you can also go diving with the sharks (no experience required), or take a Marine Life Encounters tour which involves a personal guide through the aquarium including the back of the house and newly created turtle hospital.

Wander the Cairns Botanic Garden

If you’re looking for a free activity in Cairns, set your sights on the 38-hectare tropical Cairns Botanic Gardens, five minutes from the Cairns CBD. Established in 1886, the tropical plants here are as well established as they are rare. Seriously, the gardens are home to one of only two Amorphophallus Titanums found in Australia. This Jurassic-looking flowering plant can grow up to 70kg, with each leaf reaching almost seven meters, making it comfortably the largest unbranched inflorescence (aka a plant where the flowers make up the branch and stem) in the world.

Swim in the Rainforest

With an annual weather pattern that puts the ‘tropical’ in Tropical North Queensland, knowing where to cool off is just as important as knowing where to stay in Cairns. For always refreshing swimming conditions, visit Stoney Creek, Crystal Cascades, or Fairy Falls, nestled into the Wet Tropics Rainforest, all located around 25 minutes from Cairns CBD.

Discover Rusty's Market

If you thought the colors of the landscape up here were bright and bold, wait until you see the region’s local produce at Rusty’s Markets. Rusty’s has been operating from its Grafton St location for more than 30 years, packing over 180 stalls into one city block with everything from sarongs to Vietnamese coffee, fruit and veggies to crocodile-leather bracelets. Fresh produce is the star attraction here, drawing some of Tropical North Queensland’s most acclaimed chefs to collect their supplies, including Nick Holloway of the award-winning Nu Nu Restaurant in Palm Cove.

How to get to the Venue?

When you are visiting Cairns, you definitely will arrive at Cairns Airport (CNS).

and for this year's APAC 19th Next Generation Contact Center & CX Best Practices, the Event will be held at Crystalbrook Collection, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

There are 3 ways to get from Cairns Airport (CNS) to Crystalbrook Collection:

1. Taxi - Approx. 7 min
2. Shuttle - Approx. 7 min
3. Towncar - Approx. 7 min